The present invention relates to video coding and, in particular, to video coding techniques that conserve bandwidth while at the same time preserving image quality.
Modern video coders typically exploit spatial and/or temporal redundancies in video sequences to reduce the number of bits necessary to represent the video. Coded representations of the video, therefore, are easier to store to transmit over communication networks. The video coders employ a variety of different coding techniques, including intra coding and inter coding. Video decoders receive the encoded video and decode the video so that the video can be displayed on a display device. In some instances, the video decoders may not be as sophisticated as the encoders and may not be able to decode the incoming video at the intended frame rate. In other instances, decoders may not be able to process the incoming video due to network congestion on the decoders' end.
The inventor perceives a need in the art for a video coding system that dynamically adjusts to circumstances of network congestion, or to instances when a decoder is unable to handle incoming video at the intended frame rate by changing decoding schemes.